


Phone Him

by herbailiwick



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-02
Updated: 2012-12-02
Packaged: 2017-11-20 02:04:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/580083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herbailiwick/pseuds/herbailiwick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John wants to be called on his phone and taken to a cafe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Phone Him

John was so full of reactions to danger that he didn't fully realize at the time how he'd instantly found Mycroft Holmes attractive.

He said, "You could just phone me, on my phone." Sure, yes, that would have been less creepy. And the man he hadn't known was Sherlock's brother surely would have had the means. But it was a breach of privacy to call someone's phone like that, and John had invited Mycroft to do it. Granted, it had been a breach of privacy to abduct John in the first place and meet him in a warehouse.

John apparently proved himself to Mycroft, and Mycroft did call him, after John found out he was just another Holmes.

He could remember the moment he found out Mycroft was essentially harmless to him, so long as he was good for Sherlock. He felt relief, but also the freedom to be attracted to the man. He wanted to keep talking to him, actually, about his brother, about where he got off kidnapping his brother's friends, about if he would be any more likely to go out with him than his ever-texting PA.

But Sherlock had been waiting, so John had decided friendship was more important than an incredibly sexy and mysterious man. Not that Sherlock wasn't incredibly sexy and mysterious, but he absolutely wasn't John's type. Mycroft was so calm and poised and appeared harmless most of the time. He was a lovely little puzzle with so many intersting, rigid pieces. Sherlock was more of a haphazardly scrawled riddle. John liked both, but he wasn't attracted to men who actively sulked, at least not when sulking was a default.

The first time John saw Mycroft in 221B, he'd been beaten to the flat by the man, after the explosion across the street. Sherlock was okay, fighting with Mycroft already. They were quite funny together, if a bit annoying at times. Mycroft had deduced correctly that John had been on the sofa and not a lilo (bit embarrassing they both knew about his sex life), he'd come over to appeal to John instead of Sherlock when Sherlock kept refusing, and he'd talked to John about the case. John felt special in the way he did when Sherlock took him to crime scenes, like maybe his life mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Mycroft had looked reluctant to stop speaking to him, had looked as if he wanted to actually see John very soon. And, as it turned out, he got a chance.

John was sent to Mycroft's office to talk about the case of the Bruce-Partington plans and he'd felt a wave of sympathy at the way Mycroft rubbed at his mouth. He told Mycroft then that he could text or call him anytime, and Mycroft took him up on that, when he'd only half expected he would.

***

"Mycroft, hi! Hi."

"Hello, John."

"I prefer this to texts," John admitted. "Like you, I'm told."

"Good! That's good." Mycroft sounded a bit far away.

"Any particular reason you're calling?"

"Do I need a reason?"

John paused. "No, I guess not. How are you, then?"

"I'm alright. I'm not sure about a very important decision I had to make today." There was a quietness to his voice, a certain very young quality to it that suggested uncertainty or guilt.

"I'm sure you did your best," John said.

Mycroft cleared his throat. "Thank you, John."

"Is that all, then?"

"How are you?"

"Well, your brother set something on fire today, but he put it out."

"That's how Sherlock's doing. How are you?" Mycroft asked.

John frowned slightly, thinking. "I'm okay," he said. "There was this kid that came to the surgery yesterday...do you mind if I talk about that?"

"Talk about what?"

"Kids, at the surgery."

"Do I seem like someone who hates surgeries? Or children?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Then go ahead, John."

***

"How are you, John?"

"Mycroft, hi. I actually stepped out for a bit. About to see my friend Mike Stamford. You know him, I guess. Friend of Sherlock's."

"Well, he says friend."

John laughed. "Yeah, I guess Sherlock doesn't think so. Anyway, I have to go. Maybe you could join us?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Oh. Okay. See you around, then."

"Yes, hopefully soon. Have a good time, John."

"Thanks."

***

"Another warehouse?" John looked around.

"I like warehouses," Mycroft said with a shrug.

***

"We need a plan. I was thinking we could test him, with a single cigarette."

"Let's do low-tar," John said.

"Good thinking, John."

***

"It's not funny, Mycroft. I thought it was you."

"It's a little funny. You really just started yelling out your update on Sherlock?"

"Yes." John laughed a bit. "Okay, fine. It's a little funny. I was so angry when I saw her, though."

"I can imagine. I would have been too. I am now, in fact."

"Sherlock was right to want to walk away."

"Yes."

"You know, I told her, uh, whoever the girl was who picked me up, to tell you you could just ask me to a cafe. Sherlock doesn't follow me everywhere."

"He followed you there, didn't he?"

"Yes, but. Well, yes."

"I'll take it into advisement. How is Sherlock doing?"

***

"He took the camera phone."

"Yes, I thought he might."

"So you're not upset?"

"If he'd have asked me, I'd have given it to him too."

"Oh. Okay."

"John?"

"Yes?"

"For our next meeting, how would you feel about sitting in a proper restaurant?"

"That sounds," John swallowed. "That sounds amazing, actually. Er...you know there's more to me than being Sherlock's flatmate, right?"

Mycroft began to laugh. John set his jaw and waited for it to pass.

"Oh John. Dear John. There is _infinitely_ more to you than that."

John smiled a bit. "So, restaurant it is, then."

***

They didn't mention Sherlock much at all, and by the end they'd declared it a date. John was glad Mycroft had called him on his phone.


End file.
